Prof. Kruse Lecture

Location: New Delhi

The talk was the opening event of four year partnership, Indo German Partnership in Higher Education Programme between Heidelberg University and Jawahar Lal Nehru University. This programme is cofunded by The German Academic Exchange Service and University Grants Commission. The talk was well attended and represented by experts from different fields and reputed organisations such as United Nations Population Fund, Institute of Economic Growth and All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

In his presentation Prof. Kruse argued for the necessity of a comprehensive perspective on old age which integrates developmental potential and vulnerability. This integration is further elucidated in the context of self-understanding and self-design as both a challenge and potential in old age, limit situations and dementia. The following parts of the contribution refer to the ethics of responsibility as an important starting point for a comprehensive understanding of old age, explicate basic positions of an anthropology of old age and suggest a definition of an age-friendly culture as a principal aim of ageing policy and the respective guidance.